Pipe-bowl cleaner.



W. R. GROCOFF.

PIPE BOWL CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. l2. I917.

Patented 10 11,1917.

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IIPIPJEFJBO'WL antenna.

Specification of Jtetters Patent. Pater 1 11! Application filed January12, 1917. Serial No. 141,959.

scription.

This invention relates to smoking pipes and has particular reference tomeans for scraping or, cleaning the interior of a pipe bowl.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a cleaning device ofthe character indicated of av simple, neat and effective constructionwhich may becarried in ones vest pocket or elsewhere with the occupancyof a minimum amount of space. 7

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists inthe arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described andclaimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact detailsof construction disclosed or suggested herein,

' reference characters designate the sameparts in the several views, andin which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the conventional form ofsmoking pipe, the bowl of which is in section and indicating one of myimproved cleaners therein;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the cleaner; Fig. 3 is an edge elevationof the same; Fig. 41 is a horizontal sectional detail on the line H ofFig.2 having reference only to the shank and cross head; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but indicating a modification of thecross head.

Referrin now more particularly to the drawings, show a pipe bowl cleanercomprising a substantially straight rib or shank 10, having its upperend swaged down at 11, where it is secured to a flat finger piece 12.The longer axis of the finger piece is perpendicular to the axis of theshank through which the shank may be rotated.

The opposite end of the shank is preferably cut ofl square or in a planeperpend'cular to the axis of the shank. 1S

13 indicates a cross head secured to the intermediate portion of theshank 10 and extending from opposite sidesof the shank, the axis of thecross head being perpendicularto that of theshank. The cross head may beconstructed in various ways, either as a solid piece of metal or othermaterial, or as a short section of tubing 13, as indicated in Fig. 5.This piece of tubing may be projected through a hole formed in theshankand braced in place rigidly. The ends ofthe cross head are providedwith slots 14 lying in a plane coinciding with the axes of t suitable,flat, strong material, but of peculiar form. The exterior edge of eachblade is rounded at its lower end orcurved according to the type of bowlfor which it may be specially designed, while the upper end of the.blade may be straight. The inner edge of each blade, furthermore, isprovided with an angular indentation at 18 providing a shoulder 19 whichis adapted to strike against the square end of the shank to limit themovement of the blade toward the finger piece. The blade substantiallyat its middle portion is embraced by the wall of the cross head on eachside of the slot the blades are both adapted tovbe rotated flexibly andpositively through the rotation of the shank and cross head around theaxisof the shank. The blades, however, are

free to move inwardly along the slots ld and I provide means alsowhereby the u dpe and lower ends of each blade are adapte to be tiltedinwardly toward the axis of the shank independently, so as to morecompletely or readily conform to the shape of the bowl.

,-The connecting means between the blades and the shank consists of apair of spring wires 20 and 21. Each of these wires is in the nature ofa spiral, flattened in a direction perpendicular to the axis of thespiral, and each wire is provlded at its opposlte ends with shortangular portions 22 extending through holes 23 in the upper and lowerends of the blades. More specific my, the spring 20 extends from theupperfend of one of the blades down along one side of the cross head,then through the hole 16 'at the free end of the shank and thence upalong the other side of the cross head to the top of the other bladewhere it is 70 cross head are a pair of blades 17' of any 7 fastenedpivotally, the ends in all cases beother spring may be described asleading" from the connection 2 1 at the lower'end of the first mentionedblade, thence up along theback of the cross head, thence forwardlythrough the shank hole 15, thence downwardly on the front of the crosshead to the hole 23 at the bottom end of the opposite blade. It willthus be seenthat the two springs have parallel bars lyingon the sameside of the device. Each blade thus has in effect two independentresilient supports, but the nature of the spring supports is such thatthe blades will ordinarily not be withdrawn from the slots 14 andarea'lways subject to movement toward each other according to thecompression set up against the blades due to the forcing of the deviceinto the pipe bowl, When the rounded ends of the blades are forced intoa comparatively small bowl, the shoulders 19 engage the end of theshoulder and prevent the turning of the blades on their connectionstoward the finger piece. After the device is introduced into the pipebowl, it may be rotated in either direction for the purpose of scrapingthe inner surface of the bowl.

I claim:

a 1. .In a pipe bowl cleaner, the combination of a shank having a fiatend, means wherei by the shank may be rotated around its axis,

a pair of blades lying in the same plane on opposite sides of the shankand movable radially toward and from the shank, means extending betweenthe shank and the blades serving to cause the rotation of the bladeswith the shank, the blades being formed with curved outer edges and withangularly formed inner edges providing shoulders adapted to cooperatewith the flat end of the shank to limit the movement endwise of theblades, and means to prevent the separation of the blades from theshank.

2. In a pipe bowl cleaner, the combination of a straight rigid shank,means whereby the shank may be rotated around its axis, a cross headextending in opposite directions from the intermediate portion of theshank, the ends of the cross head being slotted in a plane coincidingwith the axis of the shank, a pair of blades lying in said plane andfitted loosely in said slots for movement toward and from the shank, andresilient means connectingthe ends of each blade independently to theshank.

3. In a pipe bowl cleaner, the combination of a shank, means whereby theshank may be rotated, a cross head rigidly secured to the shank andextending in opposite directions therefrom, a pair of rigid blades lyingon opposite sides of the shank and having connection with the cross headfor positive rotation of the blades from the shank, the shank beingprovided with diametrical holes extending therethrough above and belowthe cross head, and a pair of fiat spiral springs extending through saidholes and having pivotal connections with the several ends of the bladesproviding for resilient

